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1972 Tube Stock
The London Underground 1972 stock is a fleet of trains used on the London Underground. The 1972 Stock was ordered to make up the shortfall in trains on the Northern line's 1959 Tube Stock fleet. It is, however, currently used on the Bakerloo line. Since July 2011 it is the oldest deep-level Tube stock in service on London Underground. Construction A total of 252 cars were ordered from Metro-Cammell and later refurbished by Tickford and Rosyth Dockyard. In the early 1970s the 1938 Tube stock on the Bakerloo and Northernlines was life-expired and due for replacement. Tentative designs for a new Northern Line fleet were abandoned when the go-ahead was given for the Piccadilly Line to be extended to Heathrow Airport. That required a totally new fleet of trains to replace the 1959 stock then in use. The plan was made to transfer the 1959 trains to the Northern, to allow the worst of the 1938 stock there to be scrapped, but there were only 76 1959 Tube stock trains, and the Northern Line needed more than that to operate. Originally it was planned to refurbish some 30 1938 trains, but this was scrapped in favour of 30 new trains - 1972 Mk1 Tube stock.A total of 252 cars were ordered from Metro-Cammell and later refurbished by Tickford and Rosyth Dockyard. The 1972 Tube stock was ordered in a hurry, so there was no time to create a new design; the trains were based on the 1967 Tube stock on the Victoria Line. Although almost identical looking, the 1972 trains had a guard and door controls in the rear car, and was not compatible with 1967 Tube stock (though in recent years some 1972 cars have been adapted to run with the 1967 trains on the Victoria Line). A further 33 trains of 1972 Tube stock were ordered to provide service on the Jubilee Line. The 1972 Mk2 stock had slightly different interiors, such as dark blue seating moquette (unlike the red and grey on the earlier 1972/1967 trains). Externally the biggest difference was that the doors were painted red, with a LT roundel on the side of the carriages, rather than the Johnston lettering. The train number plates on the The 1972 Mk2 trains operated on the Northern and Bakerloo Lines prior to the opening of the Jubilee Line in 1979. With the introduction of the 1983 Tube stock on the Jubilee in 1984, the 1972 Mark 2 trains were transferred to the Northern line, then subsequently to the Bakerloo line, where they remain in service. The earlier (Mark 1) 1972 stock on the Northern line was replaced by 1995 Tube Stock in 1999. The 1972 Mark 2 stock was extensively refurbished in the 1990s. After being withdrawn from the Northern line, a few cars of 1972 Mark 1 stock were converted to run with 1967 stock in service on the Victoria line. A further two trains were converted to be compatible with the MkII type, and these now run on the Bakerloo Line. The 1972 trains are formed of seven-car sets, and have a total of 268 passenger seats. Future replacement London Underground has invited Alstom, Bombardier and Siemens to develop a new concept of lightweight, low-energy, possibly semi-articulated train for the deep-level lines, provisionally called "Evo" (for 'evolution'). So far only Siemens has publicised an outline design, which would feature air-conditioning and would also have battery power enabling the train to run on to the next station if fourth rail power were lost. It would have a lower floor and 11% higher passenger capacity than the present tube stock. There would be a weight saving of 30 tonnes, and the trains would be 17% more energy-efficient with air-conditioning included, or 30% more energy-efficient without it. The intention is that these new trains would eventually operate on the Bakerloo, Central, Piccadilly and Waterloo & City lines. This would mean a replacement of the 1992, 1973 and 1972 stocks. References #Waboso, David (December 2010). "Transforming the tube". Modern Railways (London): p. 44. #"Siemens unveils London Underground concept train ". Railway Gazette International (London). 20 June 2011. #"Siemens reveals innovative air-con for deep Tube trains". Rail (Peterborough) (673): p. 12. 29 June 2011. External links *Transport for London - Rolling Stock - 1972 *Tubeprune - 1972 Tube Stock Category:London Underground Rolling Stock